1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to board games and more particularly to board games that embody a theme suggested by other media or events.
2. Background Art
Board games, particularly those based on various themes suggested by real live events or occurrences, or by other games, have long been popular. For example, prior art patents assigned to the assignee of the present invention disclose board games embodying the themes of: a beauty contest, U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,686; investment, U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,379; invention, U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,792; golf, U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,249; magic acts, U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,251; fast food franchises, U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,499; and the legendary creature "BIG FOOT" U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,246. Recently, video games, both the types playable in arcades and by means of adapters on home television sets, have become popular pastimes. Such video games have also provided themes for board games. There are currently board games based on the Bally/Midway "PAC-MAN", Nintendo "DONKEY KONG" and Sega "FROGGER" video games which are disclosed respectively in copending applications Ser. Nos. 339,850 filed Jan. 18, 1982, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,421; 424,354 filed Sept. 27, 1982 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,747; and 426,368 filed Sept. 29, 1982 which was abandoned upon filing continuation application Ser. No. 638,531 on Aug. 6, 1984, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. There remains, however, a need for additional portable board games that provide entertaining, challenging and competitive play of a game employing a theme suggested by popular video games. Moreover, since some of the characters in video games have a number of different parts or segments, there is a need to simulate such characters in the token used by a player in a board game in order to best embody the themes of such video games in the board game.